KWSO News for Mon., Jun. 14, 2021

Young salmon are now spawning above Grand Coulee Dam. The fish were brought above the dam last year to see if salmon could survive in the area that’s been blocked for nearly 80 years. Northwest Public Broadcasting’s Correspondent Courtney Flatt has more:

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Tomorrow, Bend resident Dan Horne, a wingsuit skydiver, will be attempting a new Oregon State skydiving record for the most jumps in 24 hours.  The long-standing current record of 40 jumps has held since 1986. Beginning at sunrise tomorrow around 5:30am, Horne will skydive from an altitude of 2,500 feet, attempting four to five jumps per hour. He hopes to beat the current 40 jump record during daylight hours, even though the United States Parachute Association allows 24 hours for this official record. He will do this at the Madras Airport. The public is invited to observe the event, and state-required social distancing guidelines will be followed.

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A long-disputed tract of land has once again been deemed part of the Yakama Nation Reservation. The federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decided the boundary just south of Mount Adams is part of the reservation and not Klickitat County. This dispute came after Klickitat County tried to prosecute an underage member of the Yakama Nation. Only the Tribe and the federal government have jurisdiction on the reservation. But Klickitat County said the small piece of land where the crimes happened wasn’t part of the reservation. So, the Yakama Nation sued the county. Maps drawn up during the Treaty of 1855 rely on natural landmarks that are unclear. The court said that didn’t matter because the Yakama Nation has always believed this section of land to be part of the reservation – throughout a century-long dispute with the federal government.

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Oregon legislators would create a task force focused on success for underrepresented college students, under a bill moving in Salem. OPB’s Meerah Powell has the story:

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U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced Friday that Jefferson County will receive $140,000 in federal funds to help boost broadband access and speed in the county. The federal Economic Development Administration (EDA) resources are from the CARES Act, which Wyden and Merkley voted to pass in 2020. The EDA said its investment supports the development of a robust broadband feasibility plan to assess the gaps, inventory, obstacles, and potential for increasing rural broadband in Jefferson County.  The project will help boost access and broadband speed by engaging with a consultant to conduct a plan and assessment to help increase business innovation, boost productivity, and create more jobs.

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In order for Gov. Kate Brown to lift Oregon’s mask, physical distancing and capacity restrictions, 93,000 adults still must receive at least a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.  Last month, Brown set a vaccination goal of 70% of Oregon adults receiving at least their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine before reopening the economy. As of Friday, 67% of people who are 18 or older in the state had been vaccinated. In addition, on Friday Gov. Brown announced that is extending Oregon’s mortgage foreclosure moratorium until September. However, the rent moratorium will still expire at the end of June. In July, renters must pay that month’s rent or they could face eviction for nonpayment.

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Interior Secretary Deb Haaland released a letter Friday to the Federal Energy Regulatory Committee in support of Klamath dam removal. Sec. Haaland wrote “Dam removal will restore salmonid fisheries, reestablish fish passage, improve water quality and bring new recreation and economic opportunities to the Basin.” The four hydroelectric dams clogging the Klamath River are slated to be removed in 2023 under an agreement forged between the states of California and Oregon, the dams’ owner PacifiCorp and the Karuk and Yurok tribes. Haaland’s letter comes as conditions in the Klamath River Basin are the worst they’ve been in years due to drought conditions.